Talent=a special natural ability or aptitude
Been reading a book called " Dialogue with Photography" tonight. The book got me thinking about talent and what that means. I often hear people talking about talent in photography or other areas like it is some sort magic elixir that creates your work for you. "Boy your so talented look at the work you do!" I think that talent is actually a small part of most success in photography, in other art forms or life pursuits in general. Most people who are successful at what they do are extremely hard working, they work there butts off until they have success. They do not give up at the first,second or third failures they keep the old nose to the grindstone and keep plugging away through the good and the bad times, they never give up (never surrender!). People that are successful rarely take the easy way out.
I often hear amongst my photography friends about how they did something a certain way because it was easier or they did not do something because it was too much work! If you truly love what your doing how can it be to much work? If it is easier does that make it better? Why not suffer a bit for your photographs?I think that being successful at something like photography requires 10% talent and 90% hard work. You have to keep pressing on, keep challenging yourself, you have to make sacrifices emotionally, financially and personally. If you take the easy (lazy) way out the work will suffer accordingly.
Definition of Successful photography = creating lasting work that says something important, hopefully in a new way.
